Date: June 1903
Pages: 42-48

DRAFT PARTY CONSTITUTION

Central Committee, its composition is appointed by the Editorial Board of the Central Organ [by unanimous decision] by a majority of 2/3 of its votes.

The Editorial Board of the Central Organ represents the party abroad *).

[5 bis] 6. The Party Council is elected by the congress from 5 members of the Editorial Board of the Central Organ and the Central Committee. From 15 members of the Editorial Board of the Central Organ and Central Committee in composition of 5 persons. The Council decides matters concerning disputes or disagreements between the Editorial Board of the Central Organ and the Central Committee in the sphere of general organizational and tactical questions.

[The Party Council between congresses is generally the supreme organ of the party.]

[The Party Council] is generally the supreme organ of the party in the periods from congress to congress.]

The Party Council renews the Central Committee in case of its complete failure.

The Party Council [decides matters] resolves disagreements between the Editorial Board of the Central Organ and the Central Committee in the sphere of questions of general organizational and tactical [nature] [unites their activity and is generally the supreme institution of the party in the periods from congress to congress **) 16)].

7. [17) Each committee of the party, union [of committees recognized by the party, and any other organization or group of the party conducts independently the affairs [relating to this locality, [to] this region, to this national movement or to this function specially entrusted to this group, obligating itself however to submit to all resolutions of the Central Committee [and the Central Organ] 19) and to provide funds determined by the Central Committee to the central party treasury. 20)

8. Each member of the party and any person [having any business 21) with the party,] has the right to demand that his statement in its original form be delivered to the Central Committee, or to the Central Organ, [or to the Party Congress.]

9. Every party organization is obliged to deliver [to] the Central Committee and Editorial Board of the Central Organ all means for acquaintance with all its activity and all its personnel composition.

10. All party organizations and all collegial institutions of the party decide matters by simple majority of votes and have the right of cooptation. For cooptation of new members and for expulsion of members a 2/3 majority of votes is required.

11. The Foreign League of Russian [Social Democrats] 22) [has] the aim of propaganda and agitation abroad, as well as assistance to the Russian movement. The League has all the rights of a committee with only the exception that support to the Russian movement it provides in no other way *) [than] through the mediation of persons or groups specially appointed by the Central Committee.

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*) The last sentence is a later note in the margin to the basic text. Ed.

**) The end of section [5 bis] 6, beginning with the crossed-out second paragraph, is written by Vladimir Ilyich in pencil. Ed.

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organization or group of the party conducts independently matters 18) relating specially and exclusively] to this locality, [to] this region, to this national movement or to this function specially entrusted to this group, obligating itself however to submit to all resolutions of the Central Committee [and the Central Organ.] 19) and to provide funds determined by the Central Committee to the central party treasury. 20)

8. Each member of the party and any person [having some business 21) with the party,] has the right to demand that his statement in its original form be delivered to the Central Committee, or to the Central Organ, [or to the Party Congress.]

9. Every party organization is obliged to deliver [to] the Central Committee and Editorial Board of the Central Organ all means for acquaintance with all its activity [and all its personnel composition.

10. All party organizations and all collegial institutions of the party decide matters by simple majority of votes and have the right of cooptation. For cooptation of new members and for expulsion of members a 2/3 majority of votes is required.

11. The Foreign League of Russian [Social Democrats] 22) [has] the aim of propaganda and agitation abroad, as well as [any] assistance to the Russian movement. The League has all the rights of a committee with only the exception that support to the Russian movement it provides in no other way *) [than] through the mediation of persons or groups specially appointed by the Central Committee.

*) In variant II instead of "and" the word "or" is placed.

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**Editorial Notes:**

1) The beginning of § 1: "A member of the Russian] Social] Democratic] Party" in variant II is changed to "A member of the Party."

2) The words: "Party] congresses are convened" in variant II are replaced by the words: "It is convened."

3) The words: "convene a party congress" in variant II are replaced by the words: "convene the congress."

*) In variant II instead of "and" the word "or" is placed.

4) In variant II the words are supplemented here: "and d) The Foreign League."

5) The words: "Each organization of these four categories" in variant II are changed as follows: "Each of the listed organizations."

6) Instead of the words: "has at the party congress" in variant II it reads: "has at the congress."

7) The words: "generally are confirmed by the Central Committee" in variant II are omitted.

8) The word: "they" in variant II is omitted.

9) The end of § 3 from the words: "only on condition" in variant II is rearranged so that the concluding words: "receive representation at the congress" are placed first. Thanks to this and the above-mentioned changes, the entire last sentence of § 3 has the following form in variant II: "New committees and unions of committees receive representation at the congress only on condition of their confirmation no less than 1/2 year before the congress."

10) Instead of "elects" in variant II it says: "appoints."

*) In the course of revision the words: "support to the Russian movement it provides in no other way" Vladimir Ilyich intended to replace with words written in the margin of the text: "all relations with Russia and with Russian [committees] it conducts in no other way," but in the final version he crossed out this latter text, leaving the initial version. Ed.

11) This opening sentence of § 4 in variant II is separated into a special § 4, and the remaining part — into § 5.

12) Instead of "phase" in variant II it says: "different."

13) The word "elects" in § 7 of variant II is replaced by the word "appoints."

14) Here in § 7 of variant II the word "number" is inserted.

15) The entire last sentence, beginning with the words: "The Party Council resolves," in § 7 of variant II is omitted, and § 7 there ends with the words: "The Party Council renews the Central Committee in case of its complete failure." The fact that Vladimir Ilyich in this draft twice gave the definition of the Party Council as the supreme organ of the party, then crossed out both these definitions, in the last addition restored this definition again, and then in variant II again omitted it,—all this testifies to the fact that Vladimir Ilyich greatly wavered before finally determining the role of the Council as the supreme organ of the party, which was done in his last draft submitted to the congress.

16) At the beginning of § 8 of variant II (§ 7 of this variant) it is inserted: "New Committees and unions of committees are confirmed by the Central Committee."

17) The entire sentence from the words: "Each committee of the party" in variant II is rearranged as follows: "Each committee, union, organization or group recognized by the party, conduct matters"...

18) The words: "and the Central Organ," which appear in variant II, according to Martov ("Protocols" of the 2nd congress of the League, Geneva 1904, p. 62) appeared in the final draft of Vladimir Ilyich and were removed by him under the influence of Martov's and Noskov's arguments in the statute commission. Indeed, during the discussion of this section of the statute at the 26th session of the congress the point on the mandatory nature of the Central Organ's resolutions for the party is already absent ("Protocols" of the congress, p. 254).

19) The end of this paragraph from the words: "to provide funds determined by the Central Committee" in § 8 of variant II is rearranged as follows: "to provide funds to the central party treasury in amounts determined by the Central Committee."

20) Instead of the words: "any business" in § 9 of variant II it says: "any matter."

21) Instead of the words: "Russian [Social Democrats]" in § 12 of variant II stand the words: "Russian revolutionary social democracy."

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The documents printed below under "№ 1, 2, 3 and 4" are most closely interconnected, representing different stages of Lenin's development of the general plan of work for the II Congress. Two of them (documents 2 and 5) belong to Vladimir Ilyich; the author of the third (document 4) is Martov.

The basic document is document № 3 of Vladimir Ilyich, entitled by him "Program of the II Regular Congress of the R.S.D.P." Document 2 represents preliminary rough sketches of the same work. Martov's critical remarks on Lenin's manuscript "Program" of the congress, which constitute the content of document 4, were used by the author of the "Program" in the document printed here № 3, in the form of later additions and corrections. Thus, the basic document of this group "Program of the II Regular Congress of the R.S.D.P." represents the result of lengthy elaboration of this theme by Vladimir Ilyich in the pre-congress period.

The "Program of the II Regular Congress of the R.S.D.P." represents a most important historical document directly connected with the sharpest moments of disagreement at the congress. Despite repeated references to it in the congress and post-congress discussion, it was not published: Vladimir Ilyich limited himself only to quotations from it in his article: "Why I Left the Editorial Board of 'Iskra'" (Collected Works, vol. IV, p. 520) and in the pamphlet "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" (Collected Works, vol. V, p. 391). Similarly, Martov's remarks remained unpublished, although the most politically important point from these remarks was quoted by Lenin in "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" (Collected Works, vol. V, p. 385).

The entire document printed below (sketches of the regulations and agenda of the congress, divided by us into parts a, b, and c) constitutes the end of the manuscript, at the beginning of which is found the above-mentioned initial variant of the draft party constitution. This gives grounds to refer the beginning of these sketches to the same period of time as the mentioned initial variant of the constitution, i.e., to the second half of June — beginning of July of the old style. The draft agendas presented here represent two variants: the first (b) — earlier and little worked out, the second (c) — later and more fully worked out. These sketches received their final formulation in the document printed below: "Program of the II Regular Congress of the R.S.D.P."

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# PRELIMINARY SKETCHES OF THE REGULATIONS AND AGENDA OF THE II CONGRESS OF THE R.S.D.P.

[June — July 1903. Geneva.]

**a.**

# SKETCH OF THE REGULATIONS AND AGENDA OF THE II CONGRESS.

A. Congress Regulations (a: chairmanship] (b: secretaries] c: sessions] d: not [more than 2 speeches on a [question] to speakers; e: limitation of speeches; f: verification of mandates; g: constitution of congress)—open voting; protocols; summaries of speakers *);

B. *Tagesordnung* **) 1) (1. Bund; 2. program; 3. [executive] Central Organ of the party).

**b.**

# AGENDA OF THE II CONGRESS.

FIRST VARIANT.

1. Bund. (Autonomy or Federation?

2. Program.

3. Central Organ. (new or old?)

4. Tactical questions of the movement: Terror.

5. "        "        "        Armed demonstrations and uprising.

5 bis. "        "        "        May Day.

6. "        "        "        Economic struggle and professional movement.

7. Tasks of work in the peasantry.

8. National question.

9. Attitude toward Socialist-Revolutionaries.

10. "        "        "        liberals.

11. Work in the military.

12. "        "        youth.

12 bis. Party literature.

13. Reports of committees.

14. "        "        Editorial Board of the Central Organ.

15. "        "        Central Committee.

16. Organization of the party.
    Central Committee
    Central Organ
    autonomies
    League
    Polish Social Democracy.

16 bis. Separate groups (foreign especially).

17. Elections of the Central Committee, Editorial Board of the Central Organ and Council of the Party.

18. Organization of propaganda.

19. "        "        agitation.

Over the second variant (c) of the agenda Vladimir Ilyich conducted editorial work, which was reflected in the manuscript by penciled notes: insertions, rearrangements, corrections. Below alongside the first version we give the final version of the agenda resulting from this work of Vladimir Ilyich. The numbering in the manuscript remained uncorrected. Before Vladimir Ilyich's numbering we give the serial numbering, enclosing it in square brackets.

**c.**

# AGENDA OF THE II CONGRESS.

SECOND VARIANT.

[First Version.]

1. Bund.

2. Program.

3. Central Organ.

4. Reports of committees.

5. "        Central Committee.

6. "        Editorial Board of the Central Organ.

7. Terror.

8. Demonstrations and uprising.

[Second Version.]

[1] 1. Bund.

[2] 2. Program.

[3] 3. Central Organ.

[4] 20. Organization of the party.

[5] 21. Regional and national organizations.

[6] 22. Separate groups of the party.